LOCATION ROXBURY            KS+NE SD
Established Series
Rev. CEW, JCW
05/2006

ROXBURY SERIES


The Roxbury series consists of very deep, moderately well drained or well drained, moderately permeable soils formed in calcareous silty alluvium on floodplains and alluvial fans on the Rolling Plains and Breaks (MLRA 73). Slopes range from 0 to 8 percent. Mean annual precipitation is about 51 centimeters (20 inches), and mean annual temperature is about 12 degrees C. (54 degrees F.) at the type location.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Cumulic Haplustolls

TYPICAL PEDON: Roxbury silt loam in a cultivated area. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise stated.)

A1--0 to 51 centimeters) (0 to 20 inches); dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, very dark brown (10YR 2/2) moist; weak fine granular structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; many worm casts; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary.

A2--51 to 78 centimeters (20 to 31 inches); grayish brown (10YR 5/2) silt loam, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) moist; moderate medium granular structure; slightly hard, friable, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few worm casts; many fine pores; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (Combined thickness of the A horizon is 51 to 152 centimeters (20 to 60 inches) thick)

C1--78 to 132 centimeters (31 to 52 inches); light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) silty clay loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; thinly and faintly stratified with darker colors of less than 1/2 unit lower value; massive; hard, friable, sticky and plastic; many pores; many films and fine threads of lime; strong effervescence; slightly alkaline; gradual smooth boundary. (25 to 76 centimeters (10 to 30 inches) thick)

C2--132 to 203 centimeters (52 to 80 inches); light gray (10YR 7/2) loam, grayish brown (10YR 5/2) moist; massive; hard, friable; strong effervescence; moderately alkaline.

TYPE LOCATION: Lane County, Kansas; about 14.4 kilometers (9 miles) east and 4 kilometers (2 1/2 miles) north of Dighton; 488 meters (1,600 feet) north and 12 meters (40 feet) east of the southwest corner of sec. 3, T. 18 S., R. 27 W.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:

Soil moisture regime: ustic
Soil temperature regime: mesic
Thickness of mollic epipedon: greater than 51 centimeters (20 inches)
Depth to free carbonates: less than 38 centimeters (15 inches)

A horizon
Hue: 10YR
Value: 4 or 5, and 2 or 3 moist
Chroma: 1 or 2
Texture: silt loam, loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: neutral to moderately alkaline

C horizon
Hue: 7.5YR to 2.5Y
Value: 5 to 7, 4 or 5 moist
Chroma: 2 or 3
Texture: silt loam, loam or silty clay loam
Reaction: slightly or moderately alkaline

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Ackmen, Alcester, Coleridge, Gabaldon, Hord, Irak, Muir, Shell, Tobin, Trementina and Vega series.
Ackermen, Alcester, Muir, Shell, Tobin and Treentina soils have free carbonates below a depth of 38 centimeters (15 inches).
Gabaldon and Hord soils have a cambic horizon.
Irak soils have hue redder than 10YR in the series control section.
Vega soils are drier in the soil moisture control section during the months of June through August.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING:
Parent material: calcareous silty alluvium
Landform: floodplains or alluvial fans
Slope: 0 to 8 percent
Mean annual air temperature: 9 to 13 degrees C. (48 to 56 degrees F.)
Mean annual precipitation: 48 to 76 centimeters (19 to 30 inches)

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Bridgeport, Detroit, McCook, Munjor, and New Cambria soils on similar positions.
Bridgeport soils have thinner mollic epipedons.
Detroit soils have finer-textured argillic horizons.
McCook soils are coarse silty.
Munjor soils do not have a mollic epipedons and are coarse loamy.
New Cambria soils are fine textured.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY:
Drainage: moderately well drained or well drained
Runoff: medium or low
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity: moderately high

USE AND VEGETATION: Most areas of Roxbury soils are cultivated.
Principal crops are alfalfa, corn, sorghum, and wheat.
Native vegetation is tall and midgrasses.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: Western and central Kansas, central Nebraska, and southeast South Dakota. The series is extensive.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Denver, Colorado

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Saline County, Kansas, 1952.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Mollic epipedon: 79 centimeters (31 inches) (A1 and A2 horizons)

ADDITIONAL DATA: Laboratory Data is available at the NSSL. Pedon numbers are 68KS051009 and 68KS051011. This data supports the revised classification.

Modified format by LRM in 3/2006 to include metric conversion and change permeability to saturated hydraulic conductivity.


National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.